Why do we separate things such as toilets by gender?

Yes, Kew - there are a few TRAs trying that (frankly ridiculous) line. At least at the moment, that bit of the stonewall doc doesn't support it. Also from their glossary:

'SEX
Assigned to a person on the basis of primary sex characteristics (genitalia) and reproductive functions. Sometimes the terms ‘sex’ and ‘gender’ are interchanged to mean ‘male’ or ‘female’.'

www.stonewall.org.uk/help-advice/glossary-terms#s

In this context, the 'assigned' is helpful in that - using their own terminology- they're referring to the natal sex not acquired by a 'sex change'.

@LikeDust that video is hilarious!!

Transwomen are not the same sex as women.
Even stonewall knows there is a difference between sex and gender.

Oops. Sorry - my comment was ambiguous. What I meant was, I think this is the way the TRA argument is developing. It started off by mixing up sex and gender but there has been a pushback from that - not least because sex is a protected characteristic. Lately the arguments seem to be gearing towards getting transwomen recignised as female SEX because sex is not just about genitalia. At least that is what I have seen argued! I think this makes it harder to counteract.

But surely they ARE asking for single sex toilets - because transwomen are women?

Transwomen are not the same sex as women.
Even stonewall knows there is a difference between sex and gender.

What’s the difference between “sex” and “gender”?
In common language the terms “sex” and “gender” are used interchangeably. However,
it is very important to distinguish between them as they have quite different meanings.
^The term “sex” refers to a person’s biological or anatomical identity as male or female.
The term “gender” is normally used to describe those personality characteristics and
social roles society normally attributes to maleness or femaleness.^

C&p'd from https://www.stonewall.org.uk/sites/default/files/transgenderbooklett_2004.pdf

That's a great idea, LikeDust.

But surely they ARE asking for single sex toilets - because transwomen are women?

You might just as well separate by political beliefs or musical interests

I don’t want to share the toilets with anyone playing a bassoon.

That would be most unhygienic.

I too struggle with maintaining gender specific spaces (but not sex specific spaces). Why bother?

Isn’t the logical way to implement allowing spaces to cater to all gender identities is make everything mixed sex?

This might not be the ultimate aim as per knickknack’s post,but isn’t this the way policy is going to be implemented?

If you look at the transcript of the last two days of Woman's Hour, and Jane's take down of it, it's all about trying obfusticate and blur what 'sex' means, the validity of 'sex' at all, and making it all about gender solely so that it's ok for men to enter women's spaces. That's all. That's the only thing this is about. It's about casting enough confusion to make it 'ok'.

Offer third spaces, which solve everyone's problems equally, no, they won't do, because there's no women in them. Women, present, undressing, unable to separate themselves in any way is absolutely essential to the goal.

Its a case of repeatedly pointing out the lies, refusing to accept the language, refusing to participate in the ideology and repeating over and over, no. I don't believe this. I don't consent. This is morally and ethically wrong.

I’m gender critical but when it comes to toilet facilities, there are some places where individual cubicles with sinks that could be used by people of either sex would be a good idea.

It would reduce queues for the ladies for a start.

Groups of toilets that people use depending upon the gender they feel undermine the privacy and dignity of women’s toilets.

I agree OP.

I think "Mixed Gender, Single Sex!" would be a good slogan.

I wa thinking more unisex styling of clothes rather than shape actually.

I imagine a lot of people would end up soiling themselves because they couldn't be certain if their gender matched the one on the toilet door.

I'd be completely fucked.

Not much clothing is truly unisex, because women and men tend to have different body shapes.

Knicknack has hit the nail on the head. Separating by gender allows predatory men to say they’re women and access women’s spaces. Pretty sure it’s those men, some of whom are in positions of power, are driving this.

Clothing often needs to be sex-specific though due to the different shapes of women compared to men.

"Unisex" clothing to me means clothing for men that also happens to fit a particular shape of woman. And usually in colours that are stereotypically considered masculine.

Unisex clothing I dig.

Actually, using the rainbow is not the best idea as you need the pink Barbie crinoline lady (for everyone to fight over)at the one end and the muddy GI Joe (empty except for puddles )at the other, of course.

The sole point of separating by 'gender' is that it provides the ability for men to enter women's spaces.

The only thing I can think of which currently is sometimes split by sex where gender would be better (if needed because of different styling skills) is hairdressers v barbers. Cheap short back and sides for women who want it?

Watch the fights for the loo at the end, 'I'm more womanly than you, no I'm...'

Surely everything started off being split by sex not gender